Instability in Iraq to affect all regional countries: ITC

Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) warned on Friday that instability and splitting up of Iraq would not only affect Iraq, but also all the regional countries.

Three people were killed and dozens more wounded in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk when Kurdish militiamen fired shots at Arab and Turkmen demonstrators on Wednesday.

It was reported that the Arabs and Turkmen began protesting in the morning to demand that Kirkuk remain under a central Iraqi government and not be incorporated into any proposed Kurdish federation.

Such kind of incidents damaged Iraq's integrity at a time when peace and order were needed the most in Iraq, ITC Turkey Representation said in a written statement.

"Turkmens and Arabs staged a march on Dec. 31, 2003 in Kirkuk aiming to protest the initiatives to form a federative state in northern part of Iraq, including Mosul, Kirkuk and Diyala cities which are densely Turkmen populated," said the statement.

"Kirkuk is neither a Turkish nor an Arab city, but an Iraqi city although Turkmens and Arabs constituted majority in the city," it added.